Calgary
Alberta's largest city; home to counter-drone missile start-up North Vector Dynamics and 150-plus aerospace firms.
North Vector Dynamics, a University of Calgary spin-out, raised C$29m in October 2026 to build its CM-70 counter-drone missile in the city, and aims to make thousands a year by 2027 from a planned 25,000 sq ft site.
Last refreshed: 26 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a Calgary start-up build counter-drone missiles by the thousand by 2027?
Timeline for Calgary
Mentioned in: Beyond Vision, North Vector raise funds
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
Calgary's best-known drone-defence start-up, North Vector Dynamics, closed a C$29m Series A in October 2026, with the European fund Tech Horizons leading, to make its 3kg CM-70 interceptor in the city. It plans a 25,000 sq ft plant and wants annual output in the thousands by 2027.
North Vector grew out of the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering and won a C$4.2m federal contract for hypersonic propulsion work. The city has more than 150 aerospace and defence companies, the university says, and Calgary Economic Development lists Lockheed Martin, RTX and General Dynamics Mission Systems Canada among firms there. Canadian Forces Base Suffield, Canada's largest military training area, and the Foremost drone test range, with more than 700 square nautical miles of restricted airspace for beyond-line-of-sight flights, lie about three hours away.
Calgary Economic Development markets that test airspace, with its cold-weather conditions, to drone and counter-drone builders as a fast route from prototype to readiness.
What is North Vector Dynamics building in Calgary?
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 26 October 2026. Editorial standards.